Hairpin



Mardi 9? 1948. E. H BUTLER 2,437,502

y HAIRPIN Filed Jan. 16, 1 94'7 y ll n- 72 7 w'mwlm 7 A e mi ,1 i 6 l ff yay, 6 'k INVENTOR.

Patented Mar. 9, 1.948

UNirED STATES PATENT OFFICE-g 6 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in hairpins, and inparticular to that type which may be readily inserted in the hair topositively hold it in place while at the same time permitting of itsready removal from the hair without mussing the same by displacement fofthe hairiholding means relative to the pin body.

More specifically, the invention comprises a head from which spacedprongs project, said prongs being constructed for quick release from thehead, either individually or simultaneously, las desired, and shiftingsaid prongs in the direction of their insertion in the hair.

One of the primary objects of this invention is the provision of a novelform of locking unit for removably retaining the prongs. in the pin heador body portion of the article. The head is so constructed as to providea channel or passage to receive the locking means as a unit, said unitembodying a release button for each prong, means for connecting thebuttons together and means for tensioning the buttons to normally holdthem in locking engagement with the prongs. A further object in view isto provide a retaining means which uniquely cooperates with the lockingunit to hold it removably in the head, said retaining means havingengaging relation with respect to the button tensioning means such thatthe tension on the respectiveV buttons is uniform, and the buttons ofthe locking unit are held in normal operative position.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will behereinafter set forth and the novel features thereof dened by theappended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View of the pin head with the prongs removed;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the pin;

Fig. 4 is fan enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the head or bodyportion of the pin, showing clearly the manner in which the upper endsare interlocked with the operating buttons and the details of thelocking unit; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of the locking unit removed from the pinhead.

Like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the severalgures of the drawing.

In describing my invention, it is to be understood that the formillustrated in the drawing, as regards its shape, may be materiallymodied to suit various purposes. That is to say, the body- -of the headpassage 2.

member may be made of any preferred material and given any desired shapewith jewel mountings to impart ornamentality olr other desiredconfiguration for hair decoration, and I therefore do not wish to berestricted in this respect. I have illustrated the invention as made upof plastic material, such as Lucite Essentially, however, the article iscomposed of the head or body portion I, through which is formed thechannel or passage 2 extending longitudinally of the head and preferablyof rectangular cross section.

Projecting from the head are a pair of correspending main -pnongs 3extending through sockets B formed on the bottom of the head andupwardly into channel 2. Each of these prongs is squared at its upperend and fits in a correspondingly shaped bore 4' in the sockets so as topre vent the prongs from turning after they have been inserted inposition in the head.

Each prong 3 preferably has a plurality of side prongs or spurs 5extending upwardly at an acute angle relative to prongs 3. thisformation permitting the main prongs 3 to be inserted into the hairwhich readily slides over the lateral spurs 5 in this movement. Due tothe engagement of the hair in the crotches formed by said lateral spurs,the pin vwill be positively held against accidental displacement whilethe pin itself holds the hair in the desired arrangement.

When the pin is to be removed, either or both of the prongs 3 may bequickly released from the head l in the manner now to be set forth. Atthe upper end of each prong 3 is formed a lateral notch 6 which isdesigned to interlock with a notch 6 on the contiguous button 1 forminga part of the locking unit mounted in the passage 2 of the pin head. Thenotches 6 form hook-like ends von the prongs and face inwardly so as tobe engaged by the hook-like lugs of the buttons as shown clearly in Fig.4.

The locking unit as disclosed is composed of the end buttons 1 mountedin spaced relation so as to close and project slightly from the endsThey are connected together by a cord or other flexible means 8, saidcord passing through the loops of a spiral expansion spring 9 so thatthe ends of the spring member tend to push the buttons outwardly of thehead and hold the connection 8 taut. The ends of the cord 8 are anchoredin small slits I0 in the respective inner ends of the buttons. Primarilythe function of the spring is to hold the buttons normally ininterlocking engagement with the prongs 3 as above described.

To maintain this locking unit in the head, I pass a pin or screw memberl l through the intermediate loop I 2 of the spring member which is bentaround to a position at right angles to the loops of the end portions ofthe spring. Obvious- 1y, by the displacement of the prongs 3 and removalof the screw Il, the locking unit as shown in Fig. 5 may be displacedfrom the pin head for repair or other purposes.

The use of this article will be apparent from the foregoing descriptionof its construction, whether that use be for purely ornamental purposesor for holding the hair in proper position of different styles ofhairdo. Since release of the prongs is produced by inward movement ofthe buttons, it is only necessary to use the thumb and one nger to pressboth buttons inwardly simultaneously. The head with the locking unitbeing removed, each of the prongs may be removed from the hair byshifting them in the same direction as when they were inserted.

While the specific details of construction have been herein shown anddescribed, the invention is not confined thereto as changes andalterations may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, asdened by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A hair-pin of the class described, comprising a head having anelongated channel therein, removable prongs projecting from said headand extending into the channel aforesaid, a locking member mounted ateach end of the channel for engagement with said prongs, and springmeans in the channel between the locking members for tensioning thelatter into locking engagement with the prongs.

2. A hair-pin of the class described comprising a body or head, aremovable prong member projecting from said head, a button memberslidably mounted in said head, said button member being slidable in onedirection to establish interlocking engagement with the inner end of theprong and reverselymovable to release the prong, and means for holdingsaid button member in engagement with the prong and against displacementfrom the head, the button member being provided with a recess and theinner end of the prong extending into said recess normally preventingdisplacement of the button member from the head of the pin.

3. A hair-pin as set forth in claim 1. wherein each locking member andprong is formed with a lug for interengagement and the spring meansnormally stresses the locking members into such interengagement.

4. A hair-pin as set forth in claim 1, wherein the locking members areconnected together by a exible connection permitting each locking memberto be operated independently of the other or simultaneously.

5. A hair-pin comprising an elongated head having a passage extendingfrom end to end thereof, spaced removable prongs projecting from saidhead and extending into the passage aforesaid, a button member at eachend of the passage, closing the same, each button member havinginterlocking engagement with a prong to hold the latter in the head,spring means between the buttons in the passage tending to hold themslightly projecting from the head and in interengagement with theprongs, and fastening means extending through the head and intoengagement with the spring means to maintain the position of the latterand the buttons while the prongs are in ope'rative position.

6. A hair-pin comprising a head having a passage therethrough, spacedprongs projecting from said head and extending at their inner ends intothe passage, a locking unit mounted in the passage comprising a pair ofspaced buttons interengaging with the prongs, a flexible connectionbetween said buttons limiting the separating movement thereof whilepermitting each button to independently move toward the other and springmeans between the buttons, and pin means extending into the head andengaging the spring to anchor said locking unit in the passage of thehead.

ERNEST H. BUTLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:v

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 751,426 Zwick Feb. 2, 19041,085,212 Kotner Jan. 27, 1914

